Cowboys Mine (15 page)

“Colton, you looking for trouble?”

It was pitch black out, only the odd streetlight
highlighting the road. “Don’t fuck with me now, Donal. I’m not in the mood.”

“Look at him, Liam, he’s angrier than feral hog.”

Colton was drunk, heartbroken, and depressed. Things
couldn’t get much worse. The two brothers flanked him as they walked up the
abandoned road. Crickets droned in the tall grass in the neighboring fields.

Liam tilted his Stetson, giving him the once over. “He
looks love sick, he does. Maybe he’s thinking of that Ford girl in unholy ways.”
He was nearly as loaded as Colton, but he was also a big guy who could hold his
liquor.

“You need to watch your damned mouth,” said Colton,
trying his best to ignore the brothers. His logic and self-control were at the
bottom of a bottle, and it wouldn’t take much more to set him off, especially
when they mentioned Eva.

The headlights of a pickup truck highlighted cones on
the road ahead as it passed him, the loud twang of country music filling the
night air. It slowed to a stop just ahead, and Connor leaned out the driver’s
side window. “Hurry up, the two of you, or I’ll make you walk home.”

“We’re coming,” called Donal. “Give our friend a ride,
too. He looks like shit.”

Colton wasn’t thinking straight, flashbacks of his
father flashing in his head. The alcohol was supposed to kill the memories, not
aggravate them. When Liam set a hand on his shoulder, Colton threw a punch, landing
him square on the jaw. He didn’t expect his aim to be so sure when he could
hardly walk straight. He supposed he did have a death wish. He’d just struck
one of the O’Brian brothers while the other two watched. Colton knew the love
between siblings well. He was ready for a shit storm of trouble, and part of
him craved it. What did he have to lose?

“Did he just clock you?” asked Donal. “And you just
stood there like a doorstop?” He laughed out loud, and Connor did the same.

“I’d hate to piss you off when you’re sober.” Liam chuckled
and wrapped a heavy arm around him, leading Colton to the bed of the truck.
“You know I was just teasing about Eva, Colt.”

Both brothers heaved him into the back of the truck
like an oversized bag of feed, climbing in next to him. They both wore heavy
quilted jackets similar to Colton’s. The breeze was bitterly cold at this hour.

They dropped him off in front of his ranch. He had
nothing to go home for, but he trudged down the path regardless.

“We’ll see you at the corn roast, McReed,” Connor
called out before hitting the gas. He jumped back to avoid the spray of gravel.

The wash of moonlight aided him in finding his way to
the barn. He climbed the rickety ladder to the hay loft and crashed down on a
bed of flakes. There was no way he wanted to get into a heated battle with
North at this hour—not when he was exhausted, pissed off, and nauseated. He
still remembered the last time he saw Eva out in the fields. It took all his
resolve not to break down and beg her to love him. But he knew too well that he
couldn’t inspire love in another.

Chapter Thirteen

“Come on, what are you waiting for?”

North had waited on the porch for five minutes while
Colton stalled inside. The Fords expected them to come by first thing in the
morning to shuck for the corn roast, and it was already ten o’clock.

“This ain’t a good idea,” said Colton. “It feels
wrong.”

“We help them with the corn roast every year. It’ll
more weird for us not to show up.”

“
She’ll
be
there.”

“And?”

“And I’m not ready to talk to her just yet.” Colton
grabbed the truck keys and walked ahead of him.

“She promised to talk to her dad after the roast. I
believe her.”

“I don’t believe in anyone—no disappointments that
way.” Colton boarded the truck and slammed the door shut. North joined him in
the cab.

“You’re going to upset her, Colt. You need to get a
fucking grip.”

North hadn’t told his brother about his night with Eva,
not when he was hurting so much. He was quickly slipping into his old
ways—drinking, fighting, pissing off the world. Still, he couldn’t keep pushing
her away. She was still their Eva, still special, even if nothing developed
from their brief romance.

“You don’t understand,” he said. “She’s corrupted me.”

North laughed as they drove up the back road towards
the Ford house. “I don’t think that’s possible. Do you really believe the shit
coming out of your mouth?”

“I can’t even look at another woman without thinking
of her. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I can’t even jerk off for God’s sake.”

“It’s called love, Colt. I feel the same thing. It
won’t kill you.”

Colton shook his head. “It already is. I feel like
shit without her.”

As they pulled
onto the Ford property, there were already people gathering around the area.
Large drums of corn were waiting for their attention. He scanned the area for
Eva, but he couldn’t spot her.

“It won’t be
long until everything’s settled,” North assured.

His twin didn’t
even respond, exiting the truck with an air of nonchalance. He was a pro at
putting on his game face, but North supposed he was no different. It was easier
to pretend they were happy than needing to explain why they weren’t.

Mrs. Ford
spotted them first. She rushed over and wrapped an arm around Colton’s waist.
“Where have you two been hiding?”

“Just busy,”
said North, when Colton didn’t reply.

“Well, stop
being strangers. It doesn’t feel natural with the two of you not underfoot. And
too much food is going to waste.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he
said.

Colton looked
pale. He knew his brother was worried about disappointing Mr. and Mrs. Ford. No
matter how hard he tried to replicate disinterest, he couldn’t hide his real
feelings from North.

“You ready to
shuck?” She smiled up at both of them. He had a feeling she knew something was
up, but she didn’t push for more information. Today was supposed to be a fun
day.

They found two
wooden stools and got straight to work. There was a mountain of corn to
prepare. Colton kept quiet. North just wanted the day to be over with.

Over an hour
passed, and they managed not to speak to each other. North was lost in thought
most of the time.

“Howdy,
strangers.” Mr. Ford approached them from the barn. He coiled a length of rope
around his hand and elbow.

“Afternoon,”
said North.

He paced the
area, watching them shuck, not talking. North swallowed hard, wondering if Eva
had said anything yet. There was an unspoken tension in the air.

“There’re a lot
of people coming,” he finally said. “It seems Eva’s invited half the
town…including the Blackwood sisters.” He chuckled, swinging the coiled rope
over his shoulder.

Neither of them
said a word.

“You’re both
quiet. Something you want to tell me, Colton?”

Shit
. Mr. Ford was like a lion, sensing weakness in his
brother. Would Colt break under the pressure?

“No, sir,” said
Colton.

“Eva’s been
quiet, too. Either of you know anything about that?”

Mr. Ford was
suspicious. He always did tend to sense their moods or when something was
amiss. He was about to give Mr. Ford an excuse, something to take the heat off
them and Eva until she decided to tell him herself.

But Colton
decided to speak up. “A lot happened on the trip. We started—”

He elbowed his
brother hard in the side. “Look, there she is!”

Colton would
ruin everything, no doubt putting his foot in his mouth and making the
situation harder than it needed to be. Eva approached them, hooking her arm
around her father’s arm.

“Thanks for
coming,” she said.

“Our pleasure.”
North stared up at her from his stool. She’d fancied herself up for the corn
roast, her long blonde loose down her back rather than in a pigtail. It was odd
watching her from afar. Normally she’d run into his arms with a smile. He
didn’t like the distance growing between them.

A truck honked
several times. Three pickup trucks pulled in.

“We’ll talk
later,” said Mr. Ford. “It looks like your surprise is here, Eva.”

They walked
away, Eva looking back once. He couldn’t look away. She was so beautiful.

He turned to
Colton. “Next time keep your big mouth shut,” said North. “Eva needs to tell
him herself.”

“Well, I ain’t
going to lie to him. He’s more than a father to me, and I won’t ruin that
trust.”

“You’ll ruin a
lot more than that if you don’t keep quiet.”

He peeled the
corn, tossing the ready ones in an oversized cooking pot. The entire time he
kept his focus on Mr. Ford and Eva greeting their guests. The cars and trucks
flooded in now, a new one parking every few minutes.

“I’m skipping
out when we’re done,” said Colton.

“You think the
Fords won’t notice?”

That’s when he
saw Luke Weston and his family chatting them up. Mr. Ford seemed overly
enthusiastic, even putting his arm around Luke and motioning Eva to come
closer.

“What’s going on
over there,” Colt asked, finally showing interest. He dropped a corn into the
pot with a thud and stood up to get a better look.

“Can’t know for
sure.”

Luke Weston was
twenty-three and the heir to a thriving cattle operation just outside of town.
He was what they called a pretty-boy, sitting back while hired hands did all
the dirty work.

When Eva and
Luke strolled off alone together, North’s hackles went up. They never let men
near Eva, and it felt immeasurable worse doing nothing now that his feelings
for her had changed. He wanted to toss the shucking job and ask Luke what the
fuck his problem was.

The two
disappeared in the growing crowd. His chest tightened around his heart. As soon
as they were out of sight, Colt leapt to his feet and rushed after them.

“Colt, wait!” He
followed his brother. “You can’t do anything.”

“Watch me.”

At least his
twin wasn’t lying to himself anymore. He wanted Eva, and denying it didn’t
change the fact. When they reached the edge of the white brick house, Mr. Ford blocked
their way.

“Where you
going, boys?”

Colton’s quiet
brooding was apparently over. He tried to look past Mr. Ford. “I saw Luke
leading Eva this way.”

“I know you’re
used to protecting her, and that’s good, but she’s getting older now. She wants
to grow up in hurry, find a husband, and start her own life. The least I could
do was steer her in the right direction. You have nothing to worry about where
Luke is concerned.”

Holy shit, Mr.
Ford was setting Eva up with that counterfeit cowboy. And they couldn’t do
anything about it without telling him they were both hot and bothered for his
only daughter.

“You sure that’s
what Eva wants?” asked Colton.

“She told me she
wanted to go to Chester to prove she was an independent woman. She wants the
freedom to plan her own future,” said Mr. Ford. “I suppose she’s ready to know
what love’s all about.”

“Why Luke?”

“He’s a good boy
from a good family. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

“Right.” Colton
rocked on his feet. “I mean, I’m sure he’s great. Eva deserves the best.”

“Just give her
some space. I’m sure she’ll be better for it.”

“Sure. Yeah. No
problem.”

A swarm of
family and friends gave them the chance to slip away. Colton walked so fast
that North could barely keep up.

“Wait up,”
called North.

Colt whirled
around once they were alone near the barn. “Can you believe this shit?” He
paced in a circle, his anger and frustration palpable. “He’s from a
good family
. Did you hear him, North?
And what are we, worthless castoffs?” He punched a hand into his fist.

“That’s not what
he meant. He doesn’t even have a clue we love Eva.”

“Don’t matter.
That’s his reasoning, so we have no hope of making this work. Maybe he’s right.
No, I know damn well he’s right, which is why I pushed her away to start with.”

“Lower your
voice, Mrs. Ford’s coming this way.”

Eva’s mother
came straight for them, a smile on her face. She handed them each a shortbread
biscuit. He missed her home cooking. “It’s time to gather ‘round the bonfire,”
she said.

North narrowed
his eyes. “What bonfire?”

She put her
hands on her hips, and he finally caught on. They had always been the ones to
shuck the corn, set up the bonfire, and help keep the day running smoothly. His
mind was elsewhere. In fact, Colt’s idea of skipping out was a tempting
prospect with his emotions on his sleeve.